There are a variety of common closures used to close a container holding a substance, such as medicine, food, powders, gels, and the like. For example, in the medicine industry, over-the-counter containers containing medicines often time employ a foil-like overlay atop the container opening to seal out contaminates. A closure is generally placed over the seal to allow the container to be re-closed after the foil-like overlay is removed or compromised. Common closures include screw-tight closures that screw onto the top of the container, snap-on closures that snap onto the top of the container, flip-top closure wherein a portion of the closure is attached to the container or some component of the container and is able to be flipped open to expose the inside of the container and later snapped shut. In addition, other closures are combinations of the aforementioned closures.
There are many problems with known closures. Besides some closures being difficult for those with arthritis or other hand ailments to open, closures can also be subject to counterfeiting. For example, closures are subject to counterfeiting because they can be removed from their intended container and replaced onto a different container. This can cause confusion in the marketplace if the closure itself is marked with some identifier of the original seller. Moving closures to other containers may also harm the purchasing public as the container they are purchasing may not contain the items indicated by the replaced closure. For example, a closure that was originally on a legitimate vitamin container may be moved to a container comprising illicit drugs.
Moreover, current closures may also fail to protect the quality of the goods inside the container. For example, once the seal is removed, the closure itself will often allow air, moisture, and other contaminants to reach the goods stored within the container even when close. Thus, product shelf-life may be compromised.